Richard Kannwischer

A Legacy of Steadfast Love

Ever wondered why Jesus Christ never wrote a book? He was educated, knew how to write and certainly could have hired a scribe to capture his messages. Jesus clearly had a legacy, but it is of a different kind than what we think.

Pastor and author Greg Ogden writes, “The irrefutable legacy Jesus wanted to leave behind was the transformed lives of ordinary men and women who would carry on his work after he returned to the Father.” Jesus entrusted his legacy to a handful of normal people who became extraordinary. In short, his legacy was not so much a philosophy, as a way of life.

Today, we are the legacy of Jesus Christ, the legacy of his steadfast love. At First Presbyterian Church his legacy calls us to “renew minds and redeem lives with the steadfast love of Jesus Christ.” We demonstrate this not only in the way we worship, grow and serve in his name, but also in the way we work to transform our city, merge the biblical with the social Gospel, show spontaneous compassion to others, devote ourselves to service within this community and beyond our borders, and equip families to bond together in Christ.

While on death row for alleged crimes against Nazi Germany, German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer penned his last thoughts on the church. On one of his last days, he wrote, "What the church will need, what our century will need, are not people of genius, not brilliant tacticians or strategists, but simple, straightforward, honest men and women."

The gospel of Jesus Christ is simple but not simplistic. It is straightforward to understand but will take a lifetime to accomplish. On behalf of the leadership of First Presbyterian Church, I invite you to join us as we imagine life differently and explore together the legacy of Christ’s steadfast love.

The Rev. Richard Kannwischer
Senior Pastor

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